Wider than the Universe
by RyutoLBX
Summary: A short story of love, revenge, and mystery, continued from the ending of the movie "Zootopia".
1. Ch 1: A New Start

**A Collaboration :D  
Story by applepiesforfree.  
Edited by me, RyutoLBX.  
**

* * *

 **Chapter 1 - A New Start**

It had been three and a half months since Nick graduated from the police training academy. Nick was woken up by the seemingly constant and obnoxious ringing of the alarm clock.

When he finally regained his sobriety, he found himself lying on the floor. He groaned and looked at his alarm clock which read 6.13 A.M.  
His eyes immediately widened as he remembers that he was not a pawpsicle hustler anymore; he is a cop now. He leapt out of his bed and darted towards the bathroom, grabbing his uniform on the way. He immediately got into his police uniform and rushed to the front door.

He swiftly got into his car and drove to a nearby Snarlbucks to get coffee for him and his partner Judy. He had no more than 7 minutes left to get to the ZPD. His mind raced while holding the thought that if he was late he would be doing parking duty, which his partner would also be dragged into. Judy hated doing this part of her job. Nick then sped off with his car to the ZPD.

He arrived at the ZPD 6 minutes later. He scurried through towards the counter where Clawhauser was. Clawhauser, noticing his arrival, babbled to Nick with a mouth full of cereal:  
"Oh, you are _so_ going to die; the briefing started 2 minutes ago."

"WHAT? I thought I had 2 more minutes LEFT!" Nick said as he started to panic.

"Yeah, about that… just because Chief said to get ready at the briefing room at 7 o'clock doesn't mean that you can come _exactly_ at that time. That's what responsibility means. You're a cop now, Nick, you should already know that." said Clawhauser plainly.

"Oh, if you don't knock it out, you won't be getting your doughnuts this afternoon breakkk…." teased Nick.

"OK, OK, fine. But you better get there quick, or else you are literally going to die. Bogo would probably skin you alive and use you as a rug." Clawhauser retorted.

Nick' face turned queasy. Clawhauser's words reminded Nick of the skunk butt rug that he sold to Mr. Big, a chilling memory.

Nick then rushed towards the bullpen. He cleared his throat and entered the room.

"Sir, this is just a simple misunderstand-"

"Save it and just get into your seat, Wilde." Bogo said gruffly.

While Nick slowly lumbered to his seat, Judy stared at him with a teasing stare. Unwilling to be beaten in his forte, Nick showed his usual sly smirk and hopped onto the chair.

"So what is your excuse this time? How'd you took this long to get here, you dumb fox?" Judy asked with her arms crossed.

Nick chuckled, "Sorry, I was just having a really nice dream about a bunny I know. Who would wake up from a dream where there is a person whom they truly desire for… am I right, Carrots?" Nick replies with his innocent accent as he passes the coffee that reads 'Carrots' on the side.

"Aww, stop it, Nick." Judy said, blushing.

"Wilde! Hopps! Stop flirting!" snapped Bogo whilst staring at the couple.

Nick and Judy immediately lowered their heads to cover their embarrassment as everyone else in the room laughed.

"Now, Officers McHorn, Rhinowitz, Francine, your teams patrol the Rainforest District. Officers Grizzoli, Fangmeyer, Delgato, mob scouting in Tundratown. Officers Wolford, Higgins, Snarlov undercover in a drug deal. Officers Trunkaby, Anderson, Swinley continue the search for the missing ZPD cruiser. And finally, our newest pair of recruits in the ZPD, Officer Hopps and Wilde, you both will be solving a new case. Since you both have worked swiftly and excellently on cracking case after case I will be promoting you both to detectives. Now, you can head towards Clawhauser and ask for the case file. Hope you both have good luck on cracking this case and take care. Don't disappoint me, you two. Dismissed." Bogo announced while finishing the briefing.

As Nick and Judy walked out of the conference room, Judy shouted,"WOOHOO! NICK AND I WILL BE PROMOTED TO DETECTIVES AFTER WE HAVE CRACKED THIS CASE! I'M SO HAPPY!"

As she shouted her voice echoed everywhere in the police precinct. Everyone in the ZPD stared at them.

"Shut your tiny mouth now, Hopps!" a familiar rough voice shouted from behind their backs.

Judy and Nick went to the Clawhauser's desk and asked Clawhauser for the file that they're going to work on. Soon enough, the case file was stored in their cubicle as they remember that Bogo also told them they could have a day off, so they decided to make use of it by going to Judy's place to hang out.

They headed to Judy's apartment. Nick hadn't told her this yet, but he is currently saving money to rent a bigger and better apartment so they could live in there together.

 _Just need to work for few more weeks and I can finally afford the apartment. Finally, all this hard work is going to pay off_ , He murmured to himself.

While he was daydreaming about the future of them living together, Judy shook his arm and asked, "Nick, is everything alright?"

"Yeah, yeah. Everything's just fine. Juuust fine." Nick replied flatly.

"Okay, so where do you want to go for dinner tonight?" asked Judy.

"Hmmmm, I think I know a place that is great for both of us, but we have to wear formal clothes," answered Nick suggestively.

"Okayyyy… I like where this is going, is this going to be what I think it is?" Judy asked.

"Yes it will." Nick answered while he smirks again, "I'll come and pick you up at 7 P.M., got it?"

"Got it, you dumb fox." Judy bantered.

Nick chuckled then retorted, "Sly bunny."

"See you later!" Judy shouted out of the window while Nick walks towards his car.

"CAN YOU GUYS KEEP IT DOWN?" Bucky suddenly shouted from the other side of the wall.

"HEY, CAN YOU JUST SHUT UP? DIDN'T YOU HEAR SHE WAS SAYING GOODBYE TO HER BOYFRIEND?!" yelled Pronk.

"OH YOU SHUT UP!"

"YOU SHUT UP!"

" _YOU_ SHUT UP!"

Both antelopes started endlessly yelling at each other's faces.

Judy chuckled a bit, their voices reminding her of her first few days in Zootopia.  
She then lied in her bed, thinking of what dress could she wear for dinner.

After all is said and done, 7 P.M. came. Nick raced to Judy's apartment and honked his car horn. Judy had prepared everything she needed for the night and came out of the building with a simple but elegant white dress. When she approached his car, Nick, who was only wearing a simple black suit, was stunned by Judy's appearance.

 _Oh, Judy, you are so beautiful,_ Nick whispered quietly to himself.

"What was it you said?" Judy asked sarcastically, hearing every word crystal clear.

"Erm-I-uh-n-nope. I-it's nothing." Nick stuttered, chuckling nervously after.

Judy giggled.

Judy entered the car and they drove off to the restaurant Nick mentioned.

When they arrived, Judy was astounded by the size and the looks of the restaurant.

"You can actually afford this?" Judy's eyes shone at the sight of the restaurant.

"Yes, yes I can." Nick answered honestly.

Although he was actually still trying to save money for the apartment, since this was a day off and there was nothing especially fun to do for free, he figured that he could spend a little bit of his savings to eat dinner at a nice restaurant.

They entered the restaurant and went to the receptionist. Then, they sat at the place that Nick had reserved. Judy ordered a salsa salad with radish soup and Nick ordered a bug-patty burger and garlic breads. He also ordered a bottle of wine for the both of them.

The couple had a very pleasant night. They talked about their childhood; how _exactly_ Nick became a hustler at the age of 12 and how Judy had always wanted to be a cop. They both learned lots of new things about each other.

Just as they finished dining and walked out of the restaurant, Nick suddenly took a hit to his neck and immediately fell unconscious.

"NICK! NICK NO-"

Judy was then held by a bigger mammal. She struggled to fight off the mammal grabbing her, but whoever it was she couldn't overpower them. She was then put to sleep by a chloroform-stained cloth that that mammal put in her mouth, as she silently thought,

 _Nick… no…_

As the world fades around her, she felt herself being thrown inside a vehicle.

* * *

 **Chapter 1 End**

 **Stay tuned for Chapter 2!**


	2. Ch 2: Colour of the Darkness

**A Collaboration :D**  
 **Story by applepiesforfree.**  
 **Edited by me, RyutoLBX.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2 - Colour of the Darkness**

"Judy! NO!" shouted Nick.

...

 _Ugh… where am I?_ he wondered.

After he gained enough of his consciousness, he found himself in a hospital room with a cardiograph beside him. He then noticed Bogo and the other officers are near the doorway.

"Where's Judy?!" asked Nick frantically.

They widen their eyes in surprise. Nick wasn't expected to wake up at this time, especially with his dosage of painkillers.

"Nick, we don't know yet. But trust me, we'll find her for you. We promise; you just need to stay here and rest. You'll be safe here, Nick." McHorn said solemnly. After all, he couldn't just let Nick go and get hurt again.

After a moment of silence, Nick rebelled, "But I must go and find Judy, she needs help! She is in danger! I must save her!"

"Please, just cool down, Nick. We've already sent a few officers to look for Hopps. She will be just fine, and you need some rest." stated Bogo calmly.

"NO, NO, NO! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND, DO YOU?! SHE IS MY PARTNER AND BEST FRIEND! I CAN'T JUST LEAVE HER!" Nick shouted, trying to get up until he realized that he was pawcuffed to the bed.

"We are not leaving her Wilde, she is also our friend. Don't forget that we are experiencing the same feeling as you are right now. I know it's hard to accept it but you have to understand that you panicking will not make the situation any better. You have to calm down." Bogo said softly.

"No, you guys don't know this feeling! Please, just let me go!" begged Nick.

"We can't, Wilde. You are just in too much anger to think clearly. We will let you go once you recovered and calmer. For now, you will be resting here." Bogo spoke with a now serious voice.

Soon, Bogo and the other cops left, except McHorn, who was in charge for taking care of Nick. He would always buy coffee and bring food for him when he went on afternoon break.

Four days later...

It's been the sixth day since Nick got admitted to the hospital. Nick suddenly heard a "Clink!" sound and felt something loosen from his wrists. To his surprise, he saw McHorn on his side, removing the cuffs from his paws.

"Why are you doing this, McHorn? I thought you were supposed to be watching out for me from escaping from this room." asked Nick, confused.

"You know what, buddy? The doctor just said that you are now in a much better shape. You can now leave the hospital whenever you want, so I'm getting you to the ZPD to get the file for Judy's case," McHorn said happily.

Nick immediately smiled, thanked McHorn, and got up and out of the hospital. McHorn drove Nick to the ZPD, where Nick immediately went to his cubicle and sat down. He looked towards the seat where Judy usually sits with melancholy.

 _I'll find you, Judy._

All of a sudden, he had a flashback of when he and Judy had been attacked by the kidnappers. He noticed that the mammal behind Judy who was ready to grab her looked like a ram or sheep of some figured whoever that ram was, he might have been the ram that was involved with the Night Howlers' case, out to get him and Judy.

Doug.

He ran across the main hall and into Bogo's office. He wanted to suggest that whoever might've taken Judy might be that ram and that he couldn't possibly do this case alone. When he arrived at Bogo's door he knocked on the door and said, "Chief, a minute of your time, please! I have a possible breakthrough-"

"Come in, Wilde. Just in time, I have someone that I need to introduce to you," replied Bogo from the other side of the door.

Nick opened the door and saw a figure of a hare. A clear look of the mammal revealed that he was wearing a black suit, a black tie, black shiny boots and he was wearing a pair of sunglasses, just like his.

"Wilde, this is the fine gentleman I want to introduce to you." Bogo stated, "He is Detective Jack Savage from the other precinct. I have requested the finest mammal in the department, and he is also a rabbit; well, a hare, but close enough. Isn't it such a fine coincidence?" Bogo chuckled.

"Nice you meet you… Officer Wilde, was it? I am prepared to help you investigate the kidnapping of your partner Judy." Jack greeted.

"What- how did you know it was Judy? I haven't even told you anything about the case yet." asked Bogo curiously.

"Wait, wh-what? Did you just give me a new partner to replace Judy, chief?" asked Nick, clearly unhappy with the current situation.

"No! No. This is just temporary, only for this case. He was trained by the most elite security force of Zootopia, and he should be able to help you progress through the case. I'm sure he will be a huge advantage to you." Bogo said confidently.

"Fine… I'll work with him." Nick complied.

"Very well, officer, I shall assist you in any obstacle you encounter." Jack said.

Nick told Jack to get in his car. Instead, Jack clapped his paws. A confused Nick follows.  
Soon after, an auto-piloted limousine came racing down from the corner of the street and parked right in front of them. Nick's jaw fell right open with quick succession. Jack clapped his palm again and the door of the car slid open. Nick went in as Jack sat at the seat facing opposite of him. Jack pulled out a glass panel, which when turned on showed the map of Zootopia to set where he wants to go. Nick then told him the address of the restaurant where Judy was kidnapped. With only a tap from Jack's fingers, the car drove off.

The second they arrived, Nick immediately got off the limo and went outside to see whether he could get any sort of evidence or clue for the case.

While he was searching, he was plagued by the thought, _why can't I protect her? Why can't I fight the ram? Why-_ when he was suddenly cut off by Jack, who was beckoning him.

"Nick! Nick! We've got to go back to the ZPD! Something very, _very_ bad happened!" shouted Jack frantically.

Nick and Jack immediately went back to the ZPD. What they found was terrifying. The ZPD precinct building was turned to rubble except a few officers' cubicles, including where Nick and Judy worked. The ZPD, the ZFC (Zootopian Fire Control) and the ZMF (Zootopian Medical Forces) were deployed near the ruins to try and extinguish the fires still currently burning. Meanwhile, the ZMF has their personnel busy with searching for, rescuing, and keep the injured mammals alive from the scene.

Both Nick and Jack asked one of the janitors that was in the ZPD what happened. The janitor said, "I-I was on the other side of the ZPD station. The building suddenly starts to shake, and soon after most of the floor collapsed. I think there might be some sort of explosion occurring in the boiler room that had caused this, because it's the most badly damaged part of the ZPD. It's basically nonexistent now."

"Thanks, buddy." thanked Nick.

Not long after, Nick saw Chief Bogo standing solemnly. Nick ran towards him.

"Oh, am I glad to know you're okay, Chief, but what about the others?" Nick asked.

Bogo stayed silent. His hands were covering his face, and he sounded like he was sobbing immensely. Nick, unbeknownst of what had happened to his fellow officers, was confused for a second. But when he turned around and saw a long row of white cloths in the plaza behind Bogo, the realization suddenly hit him. They were dead. What he couldn't have even imagined would ever happen had actually happened.

The dam broke. Nick's eyes let out tears of sorrow and regret and his body trembled, as what he saw was truly horrifying. He fell on his feet, trying hard to stay strong for his colleagues who had been lost forever. He scanned around for a second and saw some of the names put above the cloth. 'Fangmeyer', 'Francine', 'Snarlov', 'Anderson', 'Swinley', 'Trunkaby', just to name a few. The list goes on and on, seemingly endless. His heart skipped a beat when he saw that McHorn was also labelled on one of the cloths; the very officer that took good care of him when he was injured. They were all lying on the ground, all with injured, limp, and lifeless bodies, with a white cloth put over them. Nick's emotions took over as he punched the ground whilst screaming. Jack tried to console Nick by laying his paws on Nick's back, but he flung it off. He couldn't bear to calm down whilst a reminder of the death of his friends is still visible right in front of him. Every second of seeing the numerous white cloths brought new tears as his mind was overcome by the loss of his colleagues.

"Clawhauser a-and I are the only officers that had survived from our sector. Even then, Clawhauser is suffering from s-s-severe injuries," Bogo finally muttered while still sobbing uncontrollably.

The moment Nick finished letting it all out, it's night. He then quietly went off alone. Nobody knew where he went, except for a certain someone…

* * *

 **Chapter 2 End**


	3. Ch 3: The One that Lurks in the Dark

**A Collaboration :D**  
 **Story by applepiesforfree.  
Edited by me, RyutoLBX.**

 **Chapter 3 - The One that Lurks In the Dark**

* * *

The day after the ZPD incident happened, Jack went into what's left of the precinct building. He wanted to find out where Nick lived, so naturally he went to Nick's cubicle and tried to find something about his home. Luckily, Jack found where Nick lived not long after in a small note.

He got into his limousine and drove to his house. When he got to Nick's home, he saw that the door was already open. He came out of the car and slowly approached the door while whispering, "Nick? Are you there?"

He opened the door so that he can get a better view of what's inside. After he did, he saw that everything was a mess. The furniture, the wall, the floor and everything else; it was like a tornado entered the room. And he saw a figure sitting in the corner of the room, just beside a shelf that had been smashed. Jack recognized the mammal; it was, in fact, Nick covering his face with both arms.

Jack softly said, "Are you all right, Nick?"

Nick didn't reply. Jack slowly walked towards him.

When he got close enough, he could hear that Nick kept on mumbling, "It's all because of me, it's all because of me…"

Jack shook his shoulder to try and make him snap out of it, but instead Nick leapt towards Jack and started to choke him angrily.

"Nick, s-stop it! It's me, Jack!" said a surprised Jack whilst struggling to break free from Nick's grasp.

"You'll pay for this! You took Judy and then you take all my friends away from me! You will DIE!" Nick yelled madly.

"No! It's me, Jack! I didn't kill anyone!" Jack said, trying to convince Nick.

"NO! You killed Judy! I'll never forgive-"

Nick's words were cut off when suddenly there was a thump. Nick collapsed after. Jack, who was still catching his breath, looked towards where Nick had collapsed, where he saw a figure about his size but similar to a fox, carrying a bat with him.

"You alright?" asked the fox.

"Yeah, thanks. Who are you?" questioned Jack.

"I'm Finnick, and this is a dumbass friend of mine. I came here to see whether he was doing fine or not because I saw the news yesterday about the ZPD station turning to ruins. What happened?" Finnick again questioned him with his deep voice.

"I'm his police partner. I'm here to check whether he is doing fine or not. He was under a lot of pressure." replied Jack.

"Wait, what? The buffalo switched the bunny girl to a bunny boy? Is it because Nick flirted with the rabbit too much? I knew one day he is not going to take it anymore," Finnick said while laughing.

"Erm… didn't he tell you? Judy was kidnapped when Nick and she went out for dinner about a week ago." explained Jack.

"Oh. That's why he is acting funny these days." Finnick said back.

After they had their conversation, Finnick and Jack carried Nick to his bed and laid him down.

A few hours later, Nick woke up and found himself on his bed with a bandage on his forehead.

"Ow! What hit my head? It hurts like hell, what happened?" he groaned.

"I hit you on the head! Well, I can scratch that off my bucket list!" Finnick teased.

"Yeah. When I tried to calm you down, you jumped on me and started to attack me. Luckily, Finnick here saved my life. I think you were too depressed. You look like you haven't rested for a long time, though. You should get some rest." answered Jack.

"What? I attacked you? Sorry then, I couldn't control myself." Nick said apologetically.

"It's alright, but you know… you should really get some rest. You've stayed up pretty late yesterday, huh?" Jack retorted.

"Hmmm… I don't remember what happened yesterday night. I think I drank 2 bottles and wandered somewhere… I don't remember where." Nick replied, trying to retrieve yesterday's memories.

"I still want to try and save Judy again, though."

"Are you sure about this? I really think that you should just take it easy and rest right now." Jack said, worried.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just get me to the place I need to go. I might have a lead." Nick replied.

They head to find Weaselton at his stall that he had set up to sell movie DVDs to find more leads on Doug.

When they arrived, Weaselton said, "Hey Nick, what do you want to do with me now? Arrest me for selling these DVDs without permit? I figured. Here's the pass and the certificate. Can't get me now huh, foxy?" Weaselton said teasingly.

"Nope. I'm not here to mess around, Weasley. I need an answer and I need it now. Does Doug have more hideouts in the subway?" asked Nick with a serious tone.

"Oh no. I can't say anything about that topic anymore. He's gonna send someone to murder me, and there's nothing you can do to make me spit out the answers this time! You'll have to melt it out of my iced body!" scorned Weaselton.

Nick looked at him with a death stare.

"Oh, Nick. You aren't gonna do it, are you?" teased Weaselton.

Nick dragged Weaselton into the car and told Jack where to go. After realizing the location, Weaselton gulped.

When they arrived, the polar bear that guards the front gate asks,"Lower your window and identify yourself."

Nick lowered his window and said "Hey, it's me. I'm here to see your boss. I have a favour I have to ask him; would you be so kind and open us a path into the mansion?"

"Oh, it's you. Welcome back here, Nicky," the polar bear said whilst opening the front gate.

"Thanks," Nick thanks the polar bear politely.

"No worries, Nicky." the polar bear retorted.

As they entered the door into the house the polar bear opened the door the lead them towards as they waited for him in the office.

"You actually work with these mammals?" muttered Jack.

"Yeah. He values me and Judy for saving his daughter from a giant doughnut during a chase with _Weselton_ here." Nick answered while pointing to Weaselton.

"It's _Weaselton_! Duke W-E- **A** -S-E-L-T-O-N you orange mutated rat!" Weaselton protested.

"Shut up you dirty weasel, or else you'll get to taste my bat!" Finnick threatened.

The door on the corner right of the room opened. Koslov, Mr. Big's most trusted bodyguard, brought on a tiny ornate chair in between his paws. As they settled down, Koslov put the chair down and spun it around, revealing Mr. Big.

"Good to see you, Nicky. What do you need from me this time?" asked Mr. Big.

"Remember the last time we dealt with this rat?" asked Nick as he lifted Weaselton by his shirt.

"Yes, of course. Does he need more _persuasion_?" asked Big with a smile.

Nick nodded.

Mr. Big snapped his fingers as the 2 bodyguards took away the rug on the floor exposing the trapdoor that leads to a room full of icy water in it. Nick then handed Weaselton to one of the bodyguards, who placed him right above the ice cold water.

"Oh, please no! Please stop this madness!" Weaselton said, begging for his life.

"Isn't this… a bit cruel and abusive?" Jack asked Finnick nervously.

"I'm lovin' this!" Finnick said excitedly.

"Aww, come on, Nick. We're buddies, please don't do this to me!" implored Weaselton.

"Then tell me about Doug and the rest of his hideouts!" asked Nick gruffly.

"Ok, ok! Just promise you won't drop me down afterwards." Weaselton said, desperate to save his own neck.

"He has another lab at a deeper section of the subway. You'll find it blocked by rubble, but you will just have to find a way in. He never told me the entrance to it, so that is the only thing I can tell you. Please, just let me out!"

Nick looked at Jack and told him to drive him there.

"Whoa there Nick. We can't just rush him without weapons; it will be a suicide mission!" Jack interrupted.

"Don't worry, we will provide help for saving my granddaughter's godmother." said Big.

"Great! So it's on!" Nick said, satisfied.

"We'll see you later _Wezzlibutt_ , stay strong here." Nick teased.

"Hope I don't ever see _you_ again..." mumbled Weaselton as he was escorted out of the room.

"I'll ready my men for the raid. You can pick them up here later." Mr. Big told Nick on the way out.

"Okay, see you after we're done preparing." replied Nick.

They left and headed to Jack's place. When they arrived, Nick and Finnick was amazed by the fact that his house was about twice as luxurious as Mr. Big's mansion and it's all just for Jack himself.  
Jack invited them into the house and led them both into a room with nothing in it except for a panel with a paw icon on it. Jack placed his paws on it, then it beeped and opened. Then, a second steel door that has an eye icon and a passcode panel on it appears. Jack did what he did and the door opens but there was no light whatsoever in the room as they walked closer to it. It triggered a sensor and suddenly bright lights shone against them. Both Nick and Finnick blocked the light with their paws except for Jack who was wearing sunglasses.  
As they slowly regained their vision, Nick and Finnick's jaw and eye widened as they saw the marvel that is Jack's mansion.

After a few moments, Jack snapped them out of it, saying, "Time to lock and load, gentlemen."

* * *

 **End Chapter 3**


	4. Ch 4: The Darkness Prevails

**A Collaboration :D**  
 **Story by applepiesforfree.**  
 **Edited by me, RyutoLBX.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4 –The Darkness Prevails**

Nick and Finnick's faces were frozen in their astonished looks until Jack broke their trance with a wave of his paw across their faces.

"What the- how do you have galleries after galleries of different varieties of weapons from big to small _in your house?!_ " questioned Finnick, thoroughly confused.

"What, you have a problem with it?" Jack responded with a teasing smirk.

"No, no, of course not. So, can we choose our weapons, please?" Finnick asked, playing nicely whilst smiling nervously.

"Sure thing, but don't touch any of the big guns at the back of room. Those are too dangerous. Now that I think of it, I really don't know why I have them; a hare isn't exactly fit to carry a rocket launcher," Jack said.

"Wait. Did you just say rocket launchers?" Nick asked, bewildered.

"Yeah, why? Would we really need rocket launchers for this case? You wouldn't be able to carry it anywhere either." Jack asked back.

"Yes! That's what we needed, I've figured it out! Remember that Weaselton said that there was going to be rubble blocking the entrance? We could give it to the polar bears and blow it all up!" Nick spoke in excitement.

"Now, that was the best thing I've heard out of you in my entire life selling pawpsicles with you. Finally, you've an idea that I can agree with." Finnick bantered.

"Thank you for your compliment, _little guy_." Nick fired back.

If stares could kill, Finnick's stink eye would've just killed Nick.

"What did you just call me you dumb piece of s-"

Finnick's words were soon interrupted by Jack.

"Snap out of it, guys. We've much more important things to focus on around here."

Finnick snorted as they walked out of the room to the car that was parked in the garage with their weapons. They also dragged the (relatively) huge rocket launchers into the car.

They headed back to Big's mansion and picked up a few polar bears. After they had been done preparing and briefing the mission, they headed for the Natural History Museum to enter the subway station.

Even though they tried to keep a low profile, they were still noticed by some people and they immediately ran through to the tunnels. They walked for about 10 minutes searching through the tunnels when they saw two openings leading to different parts of the tunnel. Weaselton had never told them there were separate paths in the subway tunnels.

"I'm going to skin that _rat_ when I see him again," Nick growled.

Jack suggested that they should split up to find the lab. They soon decided that Finnick, Nick and 2 polar bears would go to through the corridor-like tunnel and Jack with the other 3 polar bears went to the other, more intricately curved tunnel. Each group gets a rocket launcher in case if they have found the wall. They wished each other good luck and separated.

After walking for about seven minutes, Nick and his group heard a loud bang. It sounded like the rocket launcher had been fired.

"It must've been in the route that Jack's group headed! We have to get there and regroup with them!" Nick said as they ran back to where they came from.

They arrived at the spot where they have separated later and ran again towards the route Jack went. As they ran, the sound of guns firing became louder and louder.

As they turned to their left in the end of the tunnel they saw that a polar bear was shot, and lying on the floor groaning in pain while Jack and the others were firing off a divot of the broken wall into an area predominantly full of rams. Some of them were armed with guns and some were wearing white lab coats stained with bluish-purple, presumably scientists, running towards exits.

"We have to help them!" Nick shouted to his team.

They ran towards Jack's position and shots started firing.

As they started to shoot, Nick said, "It seems that you've hit the _jackpot_."

"This is _not_ the time for jokes Nick!" Jack shouted exasperatedly, constantly needing to reload his ammo.

The numbers of armed rams slowly but steadily decreased as Nick and Jack's group shot them down one by one. A ram came from a sliding door and called the others to fall back as they headed one by one for the door and went in until there was nobody left in the lab except for the corpses of the fallen guards.

The group slowly jumped down from the hole into the lab. A polar bear stayed to aid another that was badly injured.

Nick and the rest of the group entered the door and into a hallway that seemed to lead to nowhere. After an annoyingly long walk, a corridor leading them to the left became visible. There was a locked steel door but they still had one rocket launcher ammunition left. As the others stayed a bit back to keep a safe distance from the explosion, one of the the polar bears crouched and shot the rocket towards the steel door.

A loud bang echoed everywhere in the tunnel.

Smoke and shrapnel was everywhere in sight. After it cleared, the group slowly approached the entrance, with their weapons ready to aim and shoot at any visuals to fire at. Jack was first to head in.

They saw a few figures lying on the floor without their guns, which were on the other side of the room. Some were trying to crawl away from the scene, but was pawcuffed to their legs.

Jack interrogated them to find out what was this lab's purpose. They answered with tears in their eyes after a few prolonged, painful zaps from Jack's taser, saying it was built to make more Night Howler serums and continue what Mayor Bellwether did; to make the public fear the predators. Since she was arrested, Doug is in charge.

They continue going in deeper to find Judy, except for Finnick, who wanted to teach the surviving rams a ' _lesson_ ', as he thoughtfully put it.

Slowly, the rest of the group continued towards the hallway.

Suddenly, a steel door slammed shut right between the members of the group, separating the polar bears and Nick and Jack. The polar bears shouted from the other side of the door, "Are you guys okay?"

"Yeah, we're still fine… but we'll have to go on our own now." Nick replied.

"We're sorry we won't be there for you both, even though it was our job." The polar bears said with a hint of disappointment, blaming themselves for their inability to continue.

"It's okay, this is no one's fault. If you still want to help, though, you can help Finnick watch over the rams since he _is_ a small guy." Nick joked.

"Okay, Nicky. Take care over there." the polar bears replied back as they went to where Finnick was.

Nick and Jack progressed towards the hallway. A few moments later, they could hear unfamiliar voices talking, so they put their guards up.

When they turned right, they saw a room with a glass capsule hanging above it which was darkened by some sort of black film so they couldn't tell what's inside. Nick wanted to go in as soon as possible but was stopped by Jack. He took a flash grenade out of his jacket, pulled the pin out and threw the grenade in the room.

A few seconds later, a ringing sound was heard and a blinding flash of light shone, blinding the nearby mammals.

While the rams were blinded, Nick and Jack ran into the room. There were two rams on each of the corner of the room, covering each corner. Nick and Jack attacked them as swiftly as they could, making use of their previous advantage.

As all the rams fainted to the floor, both Nick and Jack tried to catch their breath when the glass capsule slowly approaches them to the middle of the room. Suddenly, the black film was turned off somehow, revealing a seemingly unconscious Judy inside.

Nick ran towards the capsule and hit it frantically as an attempt to set Judy free of her cage. After a few futile hits, a vaguely familiar voice then burst into his ears.

"Hey, Nick. Nice to see you again. Welcome to my test chamber." announced Doug.

"It's him, the guy that worked with the former Mayor Bellwether and captured Judy!" Nick said angrily to Jack.

"Let's not forget the fact that it was I who was responsible about the death of your friends by blowing the ZPD, the one explosion that killed all your precious little _friends_." laughed Doug.

"You were- _WHAT_?! You were the one behind that?!" Nick shouted, his emotions boiling up.

Doug simply laughed sadistically through the speaker.

"I will _get_ you and make sure justice is served upon you, you heartless monster!" Nick shouted, enraged but with tears of sorrow let out of his eyes.

Nick shot the speaker out of anger, disabling it. He fell on his knees and teared up for a second when suddenly the steel door on the corner of the room opened, revealing 4 rams that came into the room, fully armed and loaded. They pointed at them, freezing Nick and Jack. When they demanded to have Nick and Jack put down their weapon, they very reluctantly complied. After they did, another ram joined them in the room. This time, it was Doug himself, with a pistol like gun on his hand which looked different.

"Well, well, well, look what we have here: a _helpless_ , so-called _elite_ _rabbit_ agent and a _fox_ with a puny thought of vengeance." said Doug while smirking.

Nick gave an unforgiving stare at Doug. He didn't even blink. His mind only focused on one thing:

 _Kill that ram._

"I will _get_ you, then _arrest_ you and make sure you get a _death sentence_ for all that you've done. To me, to Chief, to Clawhauser, to the ZPD; to all of my friends and their families!" Nick said, clearly furious but cautious with his words.

"Oh, you'll be long dead before that ever happens." Doug replied.

"Oh, so you're just going to kill us now?" asked Jack boldly.

"No, no, of course not. That wouldn't be _fun_ , would it? She is." Doug said whilst laughing sadistically.

The capsule that contained Judy opened and Judy fell on her back to the floor. She was just starting to gain consciousness when Doug shot her with the Night Howler serum.

She began to twitch while Doug and the rest of the rams went safely towards a corner, watching them for _entertainment_. Nick and Jack, furious as they were, decided to simply stand up and slowly approach Judy.

Nick patted Judy's back and whispered, "Judy, Judy… are you alright?"

Silence emerged. After a few seconds, Judy suddenly stopped twitching and opened her eyes. Nick, hit by the sudden realization of the situation, simply thought,

 _That's… not Judy…_

Soon after, Judy started to claw and bite Nick uncontrollably.

"Judy! Arghh- it's me, Nick! You must fight it off! Ouch!" he said, trying desperately to bring her conscious thoughts back.

Unfortunately, Nick's words fell on deaf ears. Jack tried to pull Judy off of Nick to prevent further injuries, but then Judy switched targets and went on to attack Jack. She knocked him out due to Jack's unpreparedness, and she went back and continued attacking Nick. Nick screamed in pain once again, but he didn't fight her off because he didn't want to hurt her. He'd decided that he would rather hurt himself than hurt Judy, so the assault continued.

Soon enough, his body couldn't handle all of the blood loss it experienced anymore and started to give. His vision slowly fades and darkens.

Just a few seconds later, a ringing gunfire sound was then heard echoing around the room, but Nick was already losing much of his consciousness to realize what's actually happening.

The last thing he could hear was someone shouting "Nick!" which echoed in his head as he fainted.

* * *

 **End Chapter 4**


	5. Ch 5: The Rising Light

**A Collaboration :D**  
 **Story by applepiesforfree.**  
 **Edited by me, RyutoLBX.**

* * *

 **Chapter 5 – The Rising Light**

Nick's vision was very blurry.

He was lying on a hospital stretcher, being transported to the emergency room. He could only see the ceiling, and as he blinked his heavy eyes he heard door after door slam open and the door behind him close one after another.

It finally stopped.

The room he was in was dark, except for a light shining right above him. The doctors put their masks on and put him to sleep by means of anesthesia to ease his pain.

Nick's eyes were slowly closing, as his eyes become unbearably heavy. Shortly after, he could only see pitch black; darkness.

"Ugh… no… Judy…" Nick whimpered softly.

As he woke up from his deep slumber, he slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw when he turned to his left was Jack and Clawhauser, lying unconsciously on their respective hospital beds. When he tried to sit up on his back he felt something on his lap. He looked towards where he felt the paws touching him, and he saw Judy sleeping soundly on his lap.

His face brightened up, his ears perked up, and in as much pain as he was, he immediately hugged her while simultaneously crying of happiness. He was extremely thankful that she was alright and would've kept hugging her except for the fact that he saw that Bogo was also in the room with them, alongside Judy's parents and Finnick; except that Bogo was staring straight at him with a teasing smile.

Nick blushed and immediately let go of Judy, but she was woken by his movement and his tears dropping on her forehead.  
As soon she realized that Nick was awake, Judy got up and out of his bed.

"Sweet cheese and crackers, you're fine!" Judy practically screamed at Nick's face, her face filled with ecstasy.

Nick then looked again at Bogo as he gave an even bigger grin on his face. Nick blushed even more vigorously.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about what happened just now, Wilde," whispered Bogo teasingly while holding back a laugh.

Judy's parents also got up and saw Judy hugging Nick.

"Oh. I, uh… hello, Nick. I see that you're awake now," Bonnie said, clearly uncomfortable as to what's happening in front of her; a fox and a bunny hugging.

"Oh my, for bunnies' sake, what is she doing!" whispered Stu loudly in a panicked tone.

"Finally, you're awake. we've been waiting here for the past 3 days. We thought that, because you were in a coma… I thought- I thought I- I've lost you." Judy explained immediately before she broke down on his lap crying with relief, her face covered in Nick's chest fur which became damp with her tears of joy. She hugged him even harder.

"Ow, ow, ow-" Nick groaned in pain as Judy hugged him a bit too tightly than what he's comfortable with, "You're hugging me too hard, Carrots. I feel my sutures are going to break apart."

"Whoops, sorry." Judy said while chuckling nervously, "I was too happy to see you awake, I had forgotten you've got injuries everywhere."

"It's okay, but what happened that night? I can't seem to remember anything. How am I even here?" Nick asked, curious of the previous circumstances that had led him here.

"I was just recovering some documents from the precinct building when suddenly a few mammals came to me to report. They told me that there were some mammals carrying weapons heading into the Natural history museum. I immediately called for backup from dispatch and went in. After some walking, I saw this little guy right here and a few polar bears imprisoning the rams. I thought that it was a kidnap, so I ended up calling out at them. I never knew you worked with a crime boss, Wilde." Bogo explained.

"Yeah. This buffalo pointed his gun at us and almost shot me with it until I said that I know him and I was with Nick. It could've killed me. And don't you dare call me 'little guy' or you'll get a taste of my bat, no matter who you are, Chief!" Finnick said, exasperated by his nickname.

"Actually, the mafia boss part... that's a pretty long story. Can you please continue explaining what happened? How did you save me and the others?" Nick said, clearly trying to avoid the question.

"Well, I went in deeper and found this gigantic hole that you guys made with a _rocket launcher_ I saw lying on the side," Bogo said while staring at Nick curiously, "I continued walking, and later on I saw this steel door that was reinforced and it had screaming voices behind it so I told dispatch to bring along some explosives. When the other officers arrived we placed the explosives and blew up the door. We then terminated a few threats that were armed including the ram that was also involved in the Night Howler case. When we saw Judy mauling at you I tranquilized her and brought the antidote."

"So, you killed him? Good. I believe he deserved that anyways, if he is arrested for killing so many innocent people and officers. He might even deserve _more_ than that!" Nick said, his paws tightening.

Nick was later calmed down by the soft touch of Judy's paws.

"Nick, I know what happened to ZPD and our friends. I was also very sad and angry the first time I heard and saw what happened. But I realized that I just have to accept it. Even if we cry, kill and hurt anyone that had hurt them, it still won't bring them back; we just have to move on with our lives. Our friends can rest in peace, knowing that we are still alive and well, and still making the world a better place." Judy spoke with a soft tone.

"You're right. I guess I'll just have to be strong when I think of them," Nick sniffled, bits of melancholy seeping in his emotions.

A few moments passed in silence until a knocking sound was heard. The door then opened, revealing a few polar bears including Koslov with Fru Fru and Mr. Big, each taking up one of his paw.

"Oh, sweet cheese and crackers! Are those polar bears I'm seeing?! Oh, please don't eat us, I'm not tasty!" Stu yelped.

"Stu! Didn't you hear what, uh, Nick said? They helped save Judy!" Bonnie said, mortified by her husband's words.

"Nicky, are you doing fine now?" asked Mr. Big, ignoring Judy's parents.

"Yeah, I guess I'm feeling much better than I last remembered. Thanks," Nick said, smiling and thanking him.

"We came just to check how you guys were doing. We brought some fruits for you and your friends, though I see that your friends haven't been awake yet," Fru Fru said, apparently still worried about his friends.

"Oh! That reminds me, I've also brought something for you. It's your favorite blueberries!" Judy said cheerfully as she pulled up a big basket of blueberries, "It's from my family's farm, your favorite!"

"Oh my goodness that is a lot of blueberries thank you Judy." Nick thanked Judy while popping a few of them in his mouth.

Nick stayed in the hospital a few more weeks to confirm that his injuries are healed. After those weeks, he was allowed to go out of the hospital. At that point, Clawhauser's wounds weren't yet fully healed, but the doctor says that he can travel with a wheelchair around. On the other hand, Jack was now as fit as a fiddle again, probably because of all his training.

Nick, Judy, Finnick, Jack and Clawhauser got to the hospital lobby to say their farewells to Jack.

"You've all got my phone number, right? If any of you need me, call me anytime. Thanks for everything we've been through here, guys. I'll see you guys later!" Jack said his goodbyes as he walked into his now worn-out limousine. They all waved at Jack, who gives a quick wink and seemingly disappeared into the vastness of the city.

Nick and the rest of the group left to Nick's newly bought apartment that he wanted to show Judy a long time ago, before she was kidnapped. At first sight of the complex she widened her eyes in surprise and delight, and decides to thank Nick by putting her face on his chest and snuggling with him.

 _It was all worth it,_ Nick thought, patting Judy's head and smiling broadly.

"Oh my god, Nick, I cannot believe this. We can finally move in and live together!" Judy said enthusiastically.

"So… are we invited into the cuddle house or not?" Finnick and Clawhauser asks hopefully.

"Sure, we can hang out and watch movies, or things like that. We can also bring in Chief. Oh, and one last thing; me and Carrots are packing our stuff from our old apartments into this new one. Can you guys help us?" Nick requested.

"Sure," Finnick and Clawhauser said in unison.

It has been two and a half months since the end of the case, and two months since Nick and Judy have been living together. So far, they had had amazing times hanging out with all their friends or simply each other.

"Hmmm… Carrots, do you think it's time to reveal our feelings towards each other to our parents now? I think I'm telling my mom that I'm in love with a bunny." asked Nick while waiting for dinner.

"Yeah. I think we should consider how to confront our parents, especially mine. My dad will go _nuts_ if he hears me falling in love with a fox," Judy replied while laughing from the kitchen.

"Judy..?"

"Yes, Nick?"

"I just want to say," Nick said solemnly, "Thank you. Thank you so much for coming into my life. You have literally changed me and my entire purpose in life. You are my everything, and the most precious treasure I will ever find in my entire life."

"Awww, that's so sweet of you to say." Judy said as her face reddens in embarrassment. She still wasn't used to being complimented, especially in such a manner.

"Do you know why you're also my everything, Nick?" Judy asked back

"I don't know, why?"

"Because our love for each other is _wider than the universe_. And I would do anything to fight for it." Judy stated.

"Heheh, sly bunny." Nick bantered.

"Dumb fox." Judy fires back, chuckling warmly together with Nick.

* * *

 **The end  
(for now… probably ;) )**


End file.
